Week 34

Week 34 is upon us and that means that we officially have only 6 more weeks left of this pregnancy. I can’t believe that it has passed so quickly…it seems just like yesterday that I was 6 week pregnant! 6 more weeks seems doable enough but honestly I am getting anxious for September 24th. I have been feeling more pregnant these past few days and that really doesn’t help when it comes to being patient. I still feel great over all just a lot more fatigued at the end of the day and a little bit of swelling to go along with the overall exhaustion. I am just glad that we are on the home stretch and that there is a light at the end of this tunnel!

Our baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 19 inches long. The fat layers — which will help regulate the body temperature once he/she is born — are filling the baby out, making it rounder. B-C’s skin is also smoother than ever. His/Her central nervous system is maturing and the lungs are continuing to mature as well. If there has been any concern about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. That is good to know just in case!

So this is my first official week that I do not go to work. So far it has been great but I find that I am busier now that I don’t “have” to be somewhere all day. I think that I might just be trying to get it all in before B-C gets here but I need to start taking it easy. Like I said before I definitely feel more fatigued at the end of the day. But I will be honest and tell you that I have been sleeping-in in the mornings and it has been wonderful! It is also nice to have the time in the mornings to go to the YMCA. I’ve been taking the spin classes and it is a really nice change from the humdrum treadmill and elliptical. I have also been busy preparing to teach the Motor Learning class at UCF this fall. There is a lot to do but I am looking forward to the challenge.

This past weekend Mark and I went up to Gainesville because two of my super sweet girlfriends threw an awesome baby shower for B-C and me. Andrea and Audrey did such a beautiful job and it was a perfectly intimate occasion. The food was delicious, the decorations adorable, and the company was great. Mark and I received so many nice things too. We both feel so blessed for so many good friends! It was also great to be back in Gainesville. We went to church on Sunday and that was awesome too…we just love to see all of our old friends and familiar faces.

This past week Mark and I created a baby pool so that everyone can get in on the fun of guessing B-C’s sex, length, weight, birth date and time. To participate, go to: http://www.expectnet.com/games/BatiaBaby or go to ExpectNet.com and enter BatiaBaby as the game name in the space indicated on the home page. Good luck and remember Mark is officially guessing boy and I am officially guessing girl (but not to worry, we will both be OVERJOYED with either!)

This coming weekend is a very special weekend for Mark. His most wonderful wife planned a super secret, super fantastic trip to NYC for him and his bestest good friend Alex. Actually Andrea and I planned the trip for the guys because they both love baseball SO much and neither one of them has ever been to a game at Yankee Stadium. Both have been talking about going to one for a long time especially now that it is their last season in the House that Ruth Built. So Andrea and I planned it all out and then let the boys in on the super fun secret this past Friday night. They had to answer a bunch of trivia questions to get the clues to unscramble to figure out where they were going. It was so much fun and they are really excited about the whole thing. They leave early this Saturday and they are going to the 1:05 game that afternoon. They are also going to go on a tour of the new stadium that is being built by Mark’s company Turner. It is just going to be too much fun for those two guys! I figured it is the least that I can do for Mark seeing that his world is about to be turned upside down here in about 6 weeks. He is such a great husband and he is going to be such a great daddy so he deserves this more than anyone else I know! I know that he and Alex will have a blast and they better remember to nominate Andrea and me for wife of the year!
Here are some pictures of a few new outfits for B-C. Mark's dad sent us the really cute Gator outfit...and like I've always said a baby cannot have too many UF outfits! Football season is almost here! The other is of one of two outfits that Mark actually purchased for B-C. He figured that he should be the first to buy our baby a camo outfit...I am trying not to argue with this one! I mean at least he choose a "cute" camo onesie!